Marco raised one eyebrow, one hand still on the steering wheel. "How does it feel?"
"Relieving... and a little empty," Caroline answered honestly, then leaned back slightly against the car seat. "But not empty from loss. More like... a space that used to be hollow is finally ready to be filled again—with new things," she said, gently massaging her temple.
Marco gave a small grin, then started the engine. "Let's fill that space slowly. But for now, will you let me take you out to dinner—without any ghosts from the past?" he asked, looking at Caroline intently.
Caroline smiled for the first time that afternoon—a genuine, unburdened smile. "I'd love that."
The restaurant Marco brought her to wasn't some candle-lit, grand piano kind of luxury place. Quite the opposite—it was a hidden rooftop gem few people knew about. Small hanging lights twinkled above a wooden table, with the city glowing beneath them from the height.
